15+ Healthy 20-Minute Dinner Recipes for May - EatingWell

These flavorful dinners are perfect for the warming weather. In only 20 minutes or less, you'll have a tasty, quick dinner on the table, so you can spend more time enjoying the May breeze. Recipes like our Air-Fryer Orange Chicken and Sea Bass with Citrus Salsa are healthy, delicious and easy choices for this month.

Air-Fryer Orange Chicken

Laura Kanya

Orange chicken is typically made with fried chicken coated in a sweet, sticky sauce. In this lightened-up version, we skip the oil in favor of an air fryer and make an equally delicious sauce that goes easy on the sugar. Serve with brown rice and steamed green beans.

Salmon with Potatoes & Horseradish Sauce

Romulo Yanes; Food Styling: Torie Cox; Prop Styling: Claire Spollen

You can't go wrong when you start with salmon and a sour cream sauce, especially if the sauce is flavored with dill and horseradish. Fill out the plate with a side of steamed green beans.

Beef Pad Thai

We've bulked up the serving size of beef pad thai by adding in lots of healthy veggies like matchstick carrots, snap peas and scallions. Look for whole-grain brown-rice pad thai noodles to add an additional 3 grams fiber to each serving.

One-Pot Lemon-Broccoli Pasta with Parmesan

This hearty pasta dish with bright, fresh flavor is ideal for busy weeknights. The Parmesan adds welcome saltiness and notes of umami and you get added texture from the slight crunch of broccoli and whole-wheat noodles. Add some shredded rotisserie chicken, grilled shrimp or crispy chickpeas to punch up the protein.

Sea Bass with Citrus Salsa

Jennifer Causey.

Dinner-party elegance in a 20-minute dish? It's possible, when you start with great ingredients that require little embellishment. Here, we use sea bass, a tender, mild-flavored fish with a lovely buttery quality. There are several sustainable options to choose from (Atlantic black sea bass, for one), so ask your fishmonger to ensure you're making a responsible choice. You can also use cod, sablefish (also called black cod), striped bass, or barramundi with great results. Any of these white-fleshed fish will take well to the bright flavors of the simple grapefruit-and-orange topping.

Beefless Vegan Tacos

Take taco night in a new direction with these healthy vegan tacos. We've swapped crumbled tofu for the ground beef, without sacrificing any of the savory seasonings you expect in a taco. You can also use the filling in burritos, bowls, taco salads and to top nachos.

Salmon & Avocado Poke Bowl

Poke (pronounced poh-kay), the bite-size marinated fish salad famous in Hawaii, is so popular that it's sold by the pound in supermarkets. Now it has crossed the Pacific to become the meal-in-a-bowl du jour, served in eateries from Los Angeles to New York. But it's easy to make at home with this quick recipe. Sriracha and Chinese-style mustard add a touch of heat to the classic poke seasoning of soy sauce and sesame oil. Serving it over a brown rice salad makes it a meal.

Lemon Chicken Pasta

In this easy lemon chicken pasta recipe, we love the combination of lemon zest and toasted breadcrumbs. This healthy dinner is made with rotisserie chicken, quick-cooking spiralized zucchini and baby zucchini, so you get a complete meal in just 10 minutes.

Sesame Instant Ramen Noodles with Broccoli & Soft-Boiled Egg

Jazz up basic ramen noodles with toasted sesame oil, quick-cooked broccoli and a jammy soft-boiled egg. To cut back on sodium, look for ramen varieties with less than 600 mg sodium per serving or use less of the seasoning packet.

Sheet-Pan Shrimp, Pineapple & Peppers with Rice

Greg Dupree

This incredibly easy seafood dinner uses fresh pineapple and a teriyaki-style sauce a sweet-and-tangy flavor profile. The pineapple also concentrates as it bakes and helps keep the rice mixture from becoming too dry. Rather than spreading the rice to the far edges of the sheet pan, keep it closer to the center and layer the vegetables and shrimp on top. This way their juices seep right into the rice, and the teriyaki drizzle coats every bite.

Quick Chicken Fajitas

Jennifer Causey; Styling: Lindsey Lower

Looking to update your classic chicken fajita recipe? These quick and easy chicken fajitas are perfect for a casual, fun get-together. For a casual, fun get-together, set up a make-your-own-fajitas bar with the chicken filling, avocado cream, sour cream, and any other toppings you love, like pico de gallo, sliced fresh jalapeños, or crisp radish slices. The recipe serves 4, but you can easily double it to feed a larger crowd. For a quick, easy side, combine shredded red or green cabbage, toasted hulled pumpkin seeds (pepitas), and crumbled queso fresco. Toss with a simple dressing of lime juice and olive oil.

Vegetarian All-American Portobello Burgers

Portobello mushrooms stand in for meat patties in this recipe for veggie burgers with all the fixings. Mushrooms are a source of glutamate, a naturally occurring compound that gives the fungi their umami flavor. But to really give these "patties" a savory boost, we brush them with steak sauce. Add a simple side salad or some grilled veggies for a satisfying and easy dinner on the grill.

Pan-Fried Bass

Randy Mayor; Cindy Barr

These fish fillets have a crispy, crunchy exterior thanks to a combination of seasoned breadcrumbs and cornmeal. Serve with tartar sauce, white-and-wild rice and steamed broccoli.

Edamame & Veggie Rice Bowl

The ingredients in this vegan grain bowl recipe can be prepped ahead for an easy lunch to pack for work. The tangy citrus dressing is a refreshing flavor with the sweet caramel of the roasted sheet-pan veggies.

Spicy Shrimp Tacos

These spicy shrimp tacos owe their kick to a smoky chipotle shrimp seasoning blend. Cooling avocado and tangy pico de gallo round out the flavor. This vibrant, easy dinner comes together in a flash, making it perfect for busy weeknights.

Crunchy Chicken & Mango Salad

This Asian-inspired dinner salad has terrific crunch, thanks to sugar snap peas and napa cabbage. Give the dressing a kick of heat by adding a bit of sambal oelek, an Indonesian hot sauce that you can find in most large supermarkets and Asian grocery stores.

Skillet Pork Chops with Peas, Carrots & Pearl Onions

This superfast one-dish dinner is full of classic flavor and is such a crowd pleaser that you'll want to work it into your regular weeknight dinner rotation. We call for bone-in pork chops to maximize flavor, but boneless pork chops are a fine substitution. To round out this meal a little more, serve with rice or mashed potatoes.

Peanut Zoodles with Edamame

Photo by: Carolyn A. Hodges, R.D.

A package of fresh zucchini noodles gets tossed with shelled edamame and store-bought peanut sauce in these 5-minute, no-cook vegetable noodle bowls. Because prepared sauces and dressings are commonly high in sodium, scan the label and opt for those that contain 150 mg sodium or less per tablespoon.

Tarragon Scallops on Asparagus Spears

In this 15-minute recipe, crisp and tender asparagus spears serve as a vibrant base for lemon- and tarragon-flavored sea scallops.

Quinoa-Black Bean Salad

Enjoy this quinoa and black bean salad as a delicious and quick vegetarian main dish or as a side for grilled chicken or steak. And don't forget the leftovers! They make an easy lunch on the go.

Adblock test (Why?)

Article From & Read More ( 15+ Healthy 20-Minute Dinner Recipes for May - EatingWell )
https://ift.tt/2wtA3gk
Entertainment

Poached pears, winter salad and ‘unthinkable’ pasta: Iranian Italian recipes from Saghar Setareh - The Guardian

The unthinkable Iranian ‘makaroni’

ماکارونی

Some time in recent history, the modern form of Italian-ish pasta found its way into Iran. However, it’s a mistake to think that Iranians have been strangers to noodles and pasta in general.

In fact, one of the oldest written records of noodles is lakhsha, known in eastern parts of Iran and Afghanistan as lakhshak, supposedly “invented” by the Sasanian king Khosrow. The same word travelled to Central Asia and Eastern Europe, becoming lapsha in Russia and laska in Hungary, both meaning “noodles”.

In Iran, any pasta in general is now called makaroni in domestic use. The typical makaroni sauce is definitely inspired by a classic bolognese, but somewhere along the way it has been tamed and domesticated to fit the Iranian palate, with so much golden onion, a touch of turmeric, cinnamon and saffron, and only just a hint of tomato paste.

The trick is to undercook the pasta in the first step (the parboiling) so that it won’t be overcooked after the long second stage (the steaming).

This was a kids’ favourite when I went to school and – brace yourself – we ate it with huge spurts of ketchup. I won’t judge you if you do the same. It’s an Iranian makaroni, after all.

Serves 4

350g spaghetti or spaghettoni

For the sauce
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp golden onion (see below)
300g minced meat
¼ tsp ground turmeric
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
4 tbsp tomato paste
200ml hot water (from a kettle)
1 tsp saffron infusion (see below)
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper

For steaming the pasta
1 tbsp ghee (or half butter, half vegetable oil)
1 potato, peeled and sliced crossways into 5mm discs, kept in a bowl of water to avoid oxidation

Begin with the sauce. Heat the oil in a large heavy-based saucepan with the golden onion. Next, brown the meat over medium–high heat for about five minutes, until no pink parts are left. Add the turmeric and cinnamon and cook for another few minutes, then stir in the tomato paste and cook for about five minutes, or until the tomato paste brightens in colour. Pour in the hot water, reduce the heat to low and cook with the lid on for 15 minutes.

Stir in the saffron infusion and salt, then adjust the seasoning to taste. This sauce will have very little liquid and should not be as saucy as an Italian ragu. Set aside.

Meanwhile, bring a large heavy-based nonstick pan of water to the boil and season with salt. Add the pasta and cook for about half the time indicated on the packet. Drain the pasta and, in the same pan, bring the ghee and 200ml water to the boil. Set aside half of this oily water in a cup.

Cover the bottom of the pan with the potato discs to make tahdig (the prized scorched rice at the bottom of the pan). Then add one layer of spaghetti on the potato slices, then top with one layer of the meat sauce. Repeat until you run out of both, then pour the rest of the oily water over the top.

Put the lid on and cook over high heat for seven to 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to the lowest setting (on a heat diffuser, if you have one), wrap the lid in a clean cotton tea towel, place it snugly on the pan and cook for about 30 minutes to one hour.

Gently mix the pasta with the meat mixture and serve immediately, scraping the tahdig off the bottom of the pan with a wooden spatula.

Golden onion

Piaz dagh | پیاز داغ

It’s very handy to have golden onion at the ready when you’re cooking Iranian dishes, so making a bigger batch is a good solution. It takes some time to slice and fry all the onion, but it will keep in the fridge for a couple of days and you can also freeze some (in one layer, that’s the key).

Makes 2 tbsp golden onion

Oil, for deep-frying (the quantity will depend on the size of your pan)
2 onions, halved, then sliced 5mm thick
¼ tsp ground turmeric

In a large pan suitable for frying, heat the oil over medium–high heat. Make sure the onion half-rings are separated from each other. When tiny bubbles appear in the oil, add one slice of onion to check the heat. If the oil around the onion bubbles and the onion comes to the surface, the oil is hot enough; otherwise, wait until this happens.

Usually, two sliced onions can be fried in two or three batches, in a 23cm pan. If your pan is smaller, you should fry the onions in more batches. This is actually time saving, contrary to what you may think, because one layer of onion fries more quickly, and piled-up onions become soggy and take more time to become golden and crunchy.

Fry each batch over medium–high heat for about eight to 12 minutes, or until the onion has shrunk down and is completely golden. At the last moment for the first batch, add all the turmeric, stir around a bit, then with a slotted spoon transfer the onion to a large dish lined with paper towel. The onion will darken once removed from the pan, turning golden brown on the paper. Add another batch of onion to the pan and repeat. For this amount of onion, the turmeric added to the oil at the end of the first batch is enough. (If you’re making more than this amount, add a dash more turmeric each second or third batch.) You can keep the frying oil for a week for frying up more golden onion, or to use in dishes where a hint of onion and turmeric would be welcome.

Saffron infusion

Za’feran-e dam kardeh | زعفران دم کرده

Infusing is the technique we use in Iran to prepare saffron for all our dishes, both savoury and sweet. We call this infusing “brewing” in Persian – the same verb we use for preparing tea and steaming rice. I know there are other methods of preparing saffron as well, but please, whatever you do, don’t use the saffron threads dry and on their own. It’s unforgivably wasteful, because its exquisite flavour and colour are released much better when the threads are infused in warm water. It’s also way too expensive to just sprinkle dry saffron threads on top of dishes, not to mention also a bit obnoxious – especially to those hands that collected those flowers one morning at sunrise in the east of the world.

Makes 3 tbsp saffron infusion

½ tsp saffron threads, very loosely packed
A good pinch of sugar

Grind the saffron strands with the sugar in a small mortar. If you don’t have a small mortar, you can put the saffron and sugar on a piece of baking paper, fold all the sides so the powder won’t escape, then grind with a jam jar or rolling pin until you have a very fine powder.

Boil the kettle then let it sit for a few minutes. Tip the powder very gently into a small glass teacup then gently pour three tablespoons of the hot water over it. (Never use boiling water or you’ll “kill” the saffron.) Cover the cup with a lid or saucer and let the mixture “brew” for at least 10 minutes without removing the lid to release the colour and aroma of the saffron. After this time your saffron infusion is ready to use.

Unorthodox Iranian salad, for winter

Salad Shirazi | سالاد شیرازی

The humble salad Shirazi is an essential part of an Iranian table, comprising cucumber, tomato, onion, salt and some acid – preferably verjuice, which we love in Iran. Unfortunately in winter, the classic salad Shirazi tastes horrible because out-of-season tomatoes and cucumbers taste horrible. However, I just can’t fathom a proper Iranian table without this salad on it, so I came up with this winter version, which is inauthentic but utterly delectable. The ruby red pomegranate seeds make up for the acidity of bright red tomatoes, and the texture and anise-like aroma of fennel stand in beautifully for the aromatic crunch of cucumbers.

Makes 1 medium bowl of salad

1 fennel bulb, trimmed and diced into 1cm pieces
1 small red onion, diced
Seeds of ½ pomegranate
1½ tsp dried mint, or a handful of fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
2 tbsp lemon or lime juice
1 tsp salt

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and serve.

Pears poached in wine with mascarpone cream

Like many Iranians before me, I have been raised with the idea that certain foods are “cold” and “moist” and need to be accompanied by “warm” and “dry” foods, and vice versa. For example, we wouldn’t serve fish with yoghurt on the side – indispensable as yoghurt is on the Iranian table – because they are both “cold”.

These unwritten rules that we know by heart and apply to our cooking as part of our culinary identity are relics of traditional medicine from the Middle Ages, practised by Persian physicians such as Avicenna, who in turn drew on the teachings of the ancient Greek physician Galen, who categorised nature, people, food and plants into the four “humours” of cold, warm, moist and dry.

In premodern Europe too, these same medical principles were applied to diet and food combinations. The idea was to “correct” each food with cooking and pairings so they would be balanced. Although more of a French custom, cooking fruit (“cold” and “moist”) in wine (“warm” and “dry”) had the same notion behind it.

And that’s how we got these pears, looking sexy and French in their flamboyant and glossy red wine sauce, with a luscious mascarpone cream on the side. Admittedly, the medieval ones couldn’t have been this extravagant.

Serves 8

4 beurre bosc pears, or other pears suitable for cooking
1 cup red wine (250ml)
120g sugar
2 bay leaves
1 cinnamon stick

For the mascarpone cream
400g mascarpone (can be substituted with cream)
2 tbsp sugar
4 tbsp Marsala (can be substituted with port)

Peel the pears and cut in half. Use a teaspoon to remove the seeds and core from each pear half, leaving a nice round hollow.

In a saucepan wide enough to fit all the pear halves, heat the wine with the sugar, bay leaves and cinnamon stick, stirring to dissolve the sugar. When it comes to a gentle simmer add the pears, rolling them in the wine so that all parts are tinged with the wine.

Cover and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes. Remove the lid and simmer, uncovered, for another 20 to 30 minutes, until the wine has reduced and is a little syrupy. Leave to cool.

Before serving, whip or mix the mascarpone cream ingredients together until smooth. Serve the pears with a generous dollop of mascarpone cream, drizzled with the syrupy wine.

• This is an edited extract from Pomegranates & Artichokes by Saghar Setareh, available in Australia through Murdoch Books ($49.99).

Adblock test (Why?)

Article From & Read More ( Poached pears, winter salad and ‘unthinkable’ pasta: Iranian Italian recipes from Saghar Setareh - The Guardian )
https://ift.tt/rF8ml7q
Entertainment

Magic Mayonnaise Roasted Potatoes Recipe Is the Best Way to Cook Potatoes - 30Seconds.com

Wow! These mayonnaise roasted potatoes are crazy good. I'm not sure exactly what magic the mayonnaise does to the potatoes while they bake in the oven, but you won't be able to stop eating them. This potato recipe moved to the top of the potato food chain at my house.

The ingredients and prep for these roasted potatoes are minimal: small potatoes (Yukon gold preferred, but small red or white potatoes work, too), mayonnaise (aka magic), garlic powder, onion powder and either seasoned salt or your favorite seasoning blend that has salt. You could use a dried herb like rosemary, thyme or Italian seasoning, but then you'll need to add salt to taste. Coat the potatoes in the seasoned mayonnaise, pour into a baking dish and bake until soft and creamy on the inside and crispy on the outside.

Serve these little baked potatoes as a side dish with chicken, beef, pork or lamb. They would even be delicious for brunch or breakfast with eggs instead of hash browns. This recipe could easily be doubled.

Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 1 pound small Yukon gold, red or white potatoes, cut in half
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1/2 tablespoon onion powder
• 1/2 - 1 teaspoon seasoned salt or your favorite seasoning with salt (I used Trader Joe's Green Goddess Seasoning Blend)

Here's how to make it:

1. Put the mayonnaise, garlic powder, onion powder and seasoning blend in large bowl.
   
2. Stir well to combine.
   
3. Add the potatoes and stir to coat. Season with black pepper, to taste, if desired.
   
4. Pour the potatoes into a baking dish. Bake in a preheated 375-degree F oven for about 30 minutes or until tender and crispy.
   

Note: we may occasionally reference products based on a contributor’s personal opinion. But 30Seconds is not affiliated or in no way endorses or makes any warranties about specific products. However, 30Seconds is a participant in the Amazon affiliate advertising program and this post contains affiliate links, which means we may earn a commission or fees if you make a purchase via those links.

Recipe cooking times and servings are approximate. Need to convert cooking and baking measurements? Here are some kitchen conversion charts. Here's how to submit your recipes to 30Seconds.

Take 30 seconds and join the 30Seconds community, and follow us on Facebook to get recipes in your newsfeed daily.

Related Products on Amazon We Think You May Like:

30Second Mobile, Inc. is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Adblock test (Why?)

Article From & Read More ( Magic Mayonnaise Roasted Potatoes Recipe Is the Best Way to Cook Potatoes - 30Seconds.com )
https://ift.tt/tTGH8E1
Entertainment

Nigel Slater’s recipe for sweet potato and chorizo - The Guardian

Wash 2 medium-sized sweet potatoes, then put them into a steamer basket or colander and place over a pan of boiling water, cover with a lid and steam until tender but still slightly firm to the touch, about 12-15 minutes.

Make the dressing: put 3 tbsp of vegetable oil in a shallow pan. Peel 2 cloves of garlic and slice them very thinly. Warm the oil over a moderate heat, then add the garlic, letting it fry for 3 or 4 minutes and taking care it doesn’t get any darker than pale gold. While it colours, finely shred a medium-sized red chilli and add to the pan, letting it cook only for a minute or two. Stir in 1 tbsp of honey, let it melt, then add the juice of a lime and 3 tsp of soy sauce. Let it all bubble together for a minute or so, then remove from the heat.

Cut 4 plump chorizo sausages into thick slices and set aside. Remove the sweet potatoes from the steamer and peel off the skin. Cut into thick slices and place them on a foil-lined grill pan. Heat an overhead grill, lightly brush the slices of sweet potato with oil, then place under the grill for 4 or 5 minutes. Brush them generously with the dressing and continue cooking for a couple of minutes until sizzling. Remove and place on a serving dish and keep warm.

Grill the chorizo and serve with the chilli sweet potatoes. Enough for 2

The sugary quality of the sweet potato works splendidly with the paprika-spiked chorizo, but you could use a maincrop potato if you prefer. Steam a couple of medium-sized potatoes whole, then cut into thick slices, as above.

If you fancy a cloud of mash with your chorizo instead, steam the sweet potatoes, as above, but mash them instead of slicing, using the honey-chilli dressing in place of butter, spooning it over the mash as you go.

Follow Nigel on Instagram @NigelSlater

Adblock test (Why?)

Article From & Read More ( Nigel Slater’s recipe for sweet potato and chorizo - The Guardian )
https://ift.tt/MeIG2pN
Entertainment

Love Maharashtrian Food? Try These 7 Easy Recipes Ready In Under 30 Minutes - NDTV Food

Quick Maharashtrian Recipes: Many of us like trying authentic dishes from other states of the country, and Maharashtrian cuisine is one of the most popular choices. Many yummy delicacies originate from this western state of India. Whether it's snacks, sabzis, curries, desserts or drinks, Maharashtrian cuisine has something delicious in each category. If you are looking to try making some of these dishes at home, we recommend starting with the easiest and quickest ones. We have come up with a list of tasty Maharashtrian dishes you can make in under half an hour. Check them out below.

Here Are 7 Easy Maharashtrian Recipes Ready In 30 Minutes Or Lesser:

1. Thalipeeth

_{Thalipeeth is like a spiced flatbread containing the goodness of many grains. Photo Credit: Toshita Sahni}

Thalipith (sometimes spelt "Thalipeeth") is a kind of spiced flatbread made using a combination of different types of flours. This recipe, for instance, uses whole wheat flour (atta), rice flour, bajra flour and chickpea flour (besan). Simple spices are added to give it a delicious kick. Thalipeeth makes for a truly wholesome meal and can be paired with curds or chutney. Top it with a little white butter, if you have some. Click here for the full recipe for Thalipith.

2. Kothimbir Vadi

This is one of the most popular Maharashtrian snacks. Kothimbir Vadi is made using coriander (dhania), besan and spices. The vadis are first steamed and then deep-fried. Some recipes use potatoes, but this one doesn't. You can prepare this yummy snack in as less as 20 minutes - so try it soon. Find the recipe here.

3. Batata Vada

This is another famous snack from Maharashtra and is basically the vada used in the making of vada pav. But the vada itself can be savoured as a yummy treat in itself, preferably with chutney and onions. Batata vadas are basically potato balls that are coated in a spiced besan batter and then deep-fried. Find the complete recipe here.

4. Kanda Poha

_{Best Maharashtrian Recipes: Poha is an all-time favourite breakfast dish. Photo Credit: iStock}

Maharashtrian poha has multiple versions (You can check out the full list here). But Kanda Poha is one of the easiest ones to prepare. Apart from the flattened rice (poha) and onions (kanda), this dish typically contains peanuts, mustard, coriander and common spices. Some recipes also add potatoes (making it kanda-batata poha) and garnish it with grated coconut. Check out the cooking tips and recipe video for Kanda Poha here.
Also Read: Love Poha? 7 Ideas To Make It Tastier And Healthier

5. Patti Samosa

Want to enjoy your poha in a totally different way? Then you should try making Maharashtrian-style poha patti samosas. This snack has a lightly spicy poha filling and a thin, crisp covering ("patti") that can be bought from stores or made at home. Click here for the recipe for this unique samosa.

6. Zunka Bhakri

_{Zunka is a unique type of bhaji dish you can relish for lunch or dinner. Photo Credit: iStock}

Another lesser-known delicacy is zunka bhakri. This delicacy is made using onions, besan, coriander, curry leaves and a wide range of spices. It is a sabzi-like preparation usually enjoyed with rice/ jowar bhakri or chapati. When you want a quick lunch or dinner dish next time, try making zunka. Find the full recipe here.

7. Maharashtrian Kadhi

There are many ways of making kadhi and different regions in India take pride in their own version. Maharashtrian kadhi is light and flavourful and doesn't contain pakoras or a main vegetable. Enjoy it with some plain, steamed rice for a comforting meal. Check out the recipe here.

Try making one of these delicacies soon and let us know how you like it.
Also Read: How To Make Kolache Pohe: The Quintessential Breakfast Recipe From Konkan Region

Advertisement

About Toshita SahniToshita is fuelled by wordplay, wanderlust, wonderment and Alliteration. When she is not blissfully contemplating her next meal, she enjoys reading novels and roaming around the city.

Adblock test (Why?)

Article From & Read More ( Love Maharashtrian Food? Try These 7 Easy Recipes Ready In Under 30 Minutes - NDTV Food )
https://ift.tt/ldeI9SL
Entertainment

3 Quick Waffle Recipes for Easy Breakfasts - The New York Times

Chocolaty, nutty or savory and full of umami, each one is sure to please.

I count myself among those devoted cooks who aren’t afraid to break out their waffle irons. A brave and foolhardy bunch, we make our batters from scratch or from boxes, and indulge in the ridiculous pageant of cooking waffles.

---

Recipe: Buckwheat Blueberry Waffles

---

Why? After all, any hot, flat surface would transform an almost identical batter into golden brown (and arguably easier) pancakes. But the waffle is a brilliant vessel for flavor, and its surface packs tiny squares for nestling even more delight.

Recipe: Toasted Sesame and Scallion Waffles

The strong flavors of sesame, scallion, sharp cheese run through this savory waffle.Kelly Marshall for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Roscoe Betsill. Prop Stylist: Paige Hicks.

These three simple waffles only feel complex. The savory waffle is a delightful blend of strong flavors: sesame, scallion, sharp cheese toasted until golden brown. The chocolate waffle — for true chocolate lovers — is intensified by unsweetened cocoa powder. It’s for your breakfast or brunch plate, but can double as a sweet snack with coffee or a dessert topped with whipped cream and berries. My 4-year-old daughter Aṣa will take hers with maple syrup in each of the little waffle holes, please and thank you. The buckwheat waffle, as a gluten-free option, is nutty and fragrant with lemon zest. Best of all, it will accept any fresh or frozen berries you want to throw in the batter.

I’ve tried to bring my girls into the kitchen, young as they are, to give them agency, and to help them carve out their own memories. As with any pastime a parent hopes to pass down, though, this one is yielding mixed results. Aṣa loves making waffles but won’t eat them unless chocolate is the central ingredient. My 1-year-old, Midé, will eat anything, but what she loves most is making epic messes. These recipes are perfect for keeping my tiny collaborators involved and entertained, allowing me to curate moments of exploration as their attentions shift.

Recipe: Chocolate Waffles

Unsweetened cocoa powder intensifies the flavor of these chocolate waffles.Kelly Marshall for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Roscoe Betsill. Prop Stylist: Paige Hicks.

My life is filled with rigid, unwieldy contraptions: strollers, car seats, high chairs — a parents’ world. By comparison, my waffle maker is comforting and amenable, like an old friend. Whether your collaborators are experts or novices, think of each recipe as flexible and forgiving, designed to elicit joy from the moment the lid is lifted.

Follow New York Times Cooking on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, TikTok and Pinterest. Get regular updates from New York Times Cooking, with recipe suggestions, cooking tips and shopping advice.

Adblock test (Why?)

Article From & Read More ( 3 Quick Waffle Recipes for Easy Breakfasts - The New York Times )
https://ift.tt/ZVAKHnI
Entertainment

How to cook the perfect chicken à la king – recipe - The Guardian

Despite its regal branding, chicken à la king reminds me of school dinners. How the mighty have fallen: the boozy, truffle-laced treat of the early 20th century reduced to rubbery chicken in a floury white sauce by its close. But, though the dish seems to have been created in the restaurants of the US rather than the royal palaces of Europe (the legendary New York Times food editor Craig Claiborne remembered it as “standard party fare” during his 1920s Southern childhood), it’s still a sound choice for coronation celebrations.

First, because the name fits, second, because both chicken and cream are perennial crowdpleasers, and third, because it’s perfect buffet fare – as the Oxford Encyclopaedia of Food and Drink in America notes, in its heyday, the dish was particularly popular in tearooms, because it “could be eaten in a most ladylike way without picking up a knife”. Which also makes it ideal for consumption around the television set, or at a street party, should either of those figure in your plans. And if you’re ignoring the whole affair, you can, as Colman Andrews suggests in his book Everything on the Table, call it “diced chicken in egg-thickened white-pepper sherry-cream sauce with pimentos and mushrooms on toast, if it makes you feel more contemporary”. Then have it for dinner instead.

The chicken

More commonly seen nowadays as a vehicle for excess cooked chicken, as in Constance Spry’s 1956 Cookery Book, the dish is even better made with chicken cooked expressly for the purpose. Claiborne poaches a whole bird in stock and aromatics, which adds a certain grandeur to proceedings, though, given the creaminess of the sauce, I think sticking to leaner white meat, as recommended by the earliest recipe I find, from Paul Richard’s 1911 book The Lunch Room, as well as Cook’s Country magazine, Claiborne and a 1919 recipe from Victor Hirtzler’s Hotel St Francis San Francisco cookbook, is preferable, because dark meat, though undeniably tastier, is too rich and fatty for such a pairing. If you’re using up leftovers, a mixture is fine, but if you’re starting from scratch, I’d recommend poaching breasts, as in Claiborne’s recipe, in chicken stock, as Andrews suggests, to give them a bit of help in the flavour department. (This also keeps them pleasingly juicy; cooking them in the sauce, as Cook’s Country magazine recommends, risks over-reducing it and leaving the dish dry.)

If you’d prefer to prepare your chicken in some other way – barbecuing it, for example – you might like to marinade it briefly in cream, lemon juice and salt, first, as in the Cook’s Country recipe, because that, like the stock, will make it taste a bit more interesting. Those working with ready-cooked chicken should introduce it right at the end, rather than boiling it in the sauce, as in Hirtzler’s recipe, or it will end up as tough as old boots.

The vegetables

Leaving aside the aromatics with which Andrews poaches his chicken (onion, carrot, celery, cloves and allspice), not least because I don’t think they make a significant difference to the flavour in the short time it takes to cook the breasts, most recipes confine their vegetable selection to mushrooms (Cook’s Country, Andrews, Claiborne and Spry) and peppers. Mushrooms are a time-honoured combination with both chicken and cream, adding a welcome dash of umami (and you could, if you’re feeling very ritzy, substitute truffles, as employed by Hirtzler). That said, I can’t see the sense in Spry’s notion of turning on the oven to bake them for half an hour; they’re much nicer quickly sauteed.

Peppers don’t appear in the 1919 recipe, but Cook’s Country uses the red sort, Spry the green (which she mysteriously blanches first, which robs them of much of their characteristic and delicious bitterness), while Andrews and Claiborne both call for tinned pimento strips. Pimentos are the small, round peppers sometimes found stuffed with feta – they have a particularly sweet flavour, and the jarred versions are often slightly tangy, which is great from a flavour point of view. Texture-wise, however, they can disintegrate into the sauce without warning. When I see that Richards adds both sauteed fresh green peppers and pimentos, I decide that there’s room for both in my recipe, too – not only does this mean you get both the bitterness and the sweet-and-sour notes, but the end result looks pretty, which is always a bonus.

Like Cook’s Country, I’ll also be adding onions because, though they’re not traditional, the savoury flavour of fried onions is rarely a bad base for a sauce, especially a creamy one; the sweetness of shallots would also work well, should you prefer.

The sauce

The simplest, and richest, sauce I try comes from Hirtzler, featuring cream, madeira or sherry, and egg yolks, all finished with more cream, while the plainest, a rather bland, flour-thickened, milk-and-stock affair suggested by Spry, brings back powerful memories of chicken in white sauce. Neither are things I’d particularly like to eat a whole plate of. In fact, I think the yolks, which are also present in Andrews and Claiborne’s recipes, are overkill, though you could beat some in if you really want to pay homage, because eggs are said to be a favourite food of His Majesty (boiled, rather than thrown, one assumes).

Equally, however, this is a dish that seems to demand something a little more special than an ordinary white sauce – indeed, if you reduce the cream, as Cook’s Country advocates, then there’s no need to add any starch, though I do like the idea of replacing some of it with chicken stock for flavour.

The alcohol is optional, but does give the dish a pleasant, nutty sweetness, as well as a certain retro glamour that feels somehow appropriate – you could substitute white wine, in which case you may not need the lemon juice deployed by Cook’s Country and Claiborne to cut through the richness of the cream.

If you’re really in a hurry, I find a recipe from Lafaye M Musser of Pennsylvania that uses cream of chicken soup as the sauce, which feels as if it wouldn’t offer enough contrast between meat and sauce, though, seeing as I haven’t tried it, this is mere conjecture on my part.

The seasonings

Some gentle spice helps to lift the sauce. Spry and Richards add paprika, but I prefer the sharper heat of Claiborne and Hirtzler’s cayenne pepper, though use whatever you have in the cupboard. I also love Claiborne’s finishing dash of Tabasco, whose acidity negates the need for lemon juice.

Chopped parsley is a popular finishing touch. I prefer chives with cream (and in general), and, really, neither is strictly necessary here, though they will look nice, which, as far as I’m concerned, is half the battle with party food in the first place.

To serve

Vol-au-vents and buttered toast points are the two most common serving suggestions. Much as I love the retro vibes of the vol-au-vent, and anything on toast, I prefer to pair chicken à la king with steamed white rice, which is much easier to eat with one hand, and leaves the other free for a celebratory glass of something fizzy.

Perfect chicken à la king

Prep 15 min
Cook 30 min
Serves 4-6

4 chicken breasts, or about 400g cooked chicken
600ml chicken stock (or 250ml, if using cooked chicken)
2 tbsp butter or oil
1 yellow onion or 2 shallots, peeled and finely diced
Salt and black pepper
1 green pepper, stem, pith and seeds discarded, flesh diced (or use a yellow pepper if you don’t care for green)
200g chestnut or white mushrooms, finely sliced
½ tsp cayenne pepper, or paprika
100ml madeira, or dry sherry (optional)
250ml double cream
120g jarred pimentos (drained weight), or Pepperdew or roast red peppers, diced
Tabasco, or lemon juice, to finish
Parsley or chives, to finish

Put the chicken breasts in a saucepan wide enough to hold them all in one layer, then add enough stock just to cover; top up with water, if need be (if using cooked chicken, start at step 2).

Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat and cook at a gentle simmer for 10-12 minutes, until the juices from the thickest part of the breast run clear when you cut into it with the tip of a knife. Lift the chicken out of the pan, reserving the stock, and set aside until cool enough to handle.

Cut the cooked chicken into bite-sized chunks. Put the butter in a frying pan on a medium-low heat, then add the onion and a good pinch of salt, and saute for a few minutes, until limp.

Add the green pepper, cook, stirring, for another couple of minutes to soften, then add the mushrooms, turn up the heat slightly and fry until they’ve given up most of their moisture.

Stir in the cayenne pepper, fry for a few seconds, then add the alcohol, if using. Bring to a simmer, then leave the liquid to bubble away to almost nothing before stirring in 250ml stock and the cream.

Simmer until the sauce thickens, then stir in the pimentos and chopped chicken, plus a dash of Tabasco and/or lemon juice. Check the seasoning, adjust to taste, then serve topped with a scattering of roughly chopped herbs.

• Chicken à la king: a bland blast from the past that’s best left there, or a luxurious treat that’s worth reviving? What will you be cooking this weekend – and will it have anything to do with the coronation?

Adblock test (Why?)

Article From & Read More ( How to cook the perfect chicken à la king – recipe - The Guardian )
https://ift.tt/zOyKjkp
Entertainment